Brighton’s Rum Kitchen is loud, lively and lots of fun

You’ve got to love a venue that serves drinks in a large flaming red skull-shaped glass with fireworks.

Rum Kitchen set up shop this summer in Black Lion Street on the site formerly occupied by Jamie’s Italian and is a buzzing new addition to the city.

It’s the group’s fourth venue, its first outside of the capital, and it has made good use of the substantial surroundings, lots of semi-industrial looking tall stools benches and booths. Who doesn’t love a booth?

We effortlessly slid into one of those booths on a busy Saturday night and the vibe was darn good.

It’s not just a loosely-themed Caribbean joint with a bit of reggae playing in the background, there’s a resident DJ (you’ll see him before you slip into a booth or sit on your stool) giving it plenty and playing some slick hip-hop and banging R&B and ragga infused tunes

So far so groovy but what about the grub? Saltfish fritters and Proper Fried Prawns were excellent moreish crispy starters, the former with a tangy tamarind dip and the latter with a punchy Scotch Bonnet mayo which was a introduction to the spice to come.

Their 48-hour marinaded jerk chicken is given a nice two-hour dip in a water bath before it reaches the grill and the effort is rewarded with juicy meat and an insanely tasty spiced exterior.